Notre Dame has not faced Miami (OH) in more than a century. Irish fans can be forgiven for not knowing much about the RedHawks aside from their head coach looking a bit familiar. To offer a quick education, let’s turn to Brady Pfister, beat writer for The Miami Student:

DF: Starting with football-specific questions, senior quarterback Gus Ragland leads the way, first entering the scene halfway through last season. It would be hard to top his initial debut — throwing 15 touchdowns and no interceptions over a six-game winning streak — but how has he fared this season in the face of those somewhat high expectations? His statistics (881 yards, eight touchdowns, two interceptions in four games) certainly bode well, though a completion percentage of 52.1 may leave something to be desired.
BP: Head coach Chuck Martin’s offensive design makes it hard to evaluate Ragland based on his numbers. Miami wants to establish a run game to open up the downfield passing game later on, so the 52.1 completion percentage is in large part a result of the multiple deep shots the ‘Hawks tend to take throughout the course of a game. Either Ragland’s man catches the pass for a big gain, or no one catches it at all.

Ragland has been the steady hand these RedHawks have needed to compete in every game they have played. He controls the offense well, makes good reads, and puts his receivers in positions to make plays. Last week at Central Michigan, Ragland took his performance to another level, throwing for 217 yards for two touchdowns while adding another score on the ground. If Ragland plays like he did against the Chippewas, the Miami offense adds another level of potency, but if he simply manages the game, then the ‘Hawks can struggle to truly play up to their potential.

Notre Dame has yet to face an offense with a truly threatening passing attack. Miami’s may not be the most vaunted in the country, but it might be more focused that way than any of Temple, Georgia, Boston College or Michigan State. Specifically, Irish coach Brian Kelly has worried about his secondary’s approach to down-and-distance situations. Does Ragland have the experience, even veteran savvy, needed to expose that possible Notre Dame vulnerability?

Miami senior quarterback may be the best pure-passer Notre Dame has faced yet this season. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

As much as these plays may come from Ragland’s, the emphasis should be on his targets. For a defensive backfield lacking confidence, having James Gardner, Jared Murphy and Ryan Smith can cause headaches, having proven to be able to make tough catches Ragland sends their way. However, if the Irish take advantage of their talent on the defensive side of the ball, they can turn touchdown passes into interceptions, allowing them to pull away. For Miami to compete in this game, Ragland needs to connect on some potentially risky downfield passes.

Ragland prefers to target junior receiver James Gardner. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 216 pounds, Gardner will tower over whatever Irish cornerback lines up opposite him. Is that how he has found his way to 294 yards on 16 catches this season?
Whether it be in the red zone or blazing past corners for deep balls, Gardner is a reassuring presence for Ragland. If the ball is anywhere in the vicinity of the big man, chances are he’s coming down with it. In the ‘Hawk’s week 2 matchup against Austin Peay, Gardner played a huge role with two deep touchdowns, but his snaps were limited the following week against Cincinnati. Late in the game, the RedHawks were in the red zone in need of a score, but were unable to make big catches in the end zone. I truly believe if Gardner was on the field, Miami would have been able to turn those incompletions into a touchdown.

Defensively, it seems Miami may have the defensive backs to capitalize on Notre Dame junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush’s inexperience and accuracy questions. The RedHawks already have six interceptions this year. Should that be a viable Irish concern?
Absolutely. Miami’s strength is its staunch defensive backfield, which refers to itself as “The Mob.” Leading the way is fifth-year cornerback Heath Harding, the vocal leader of the team as well as a disruptive force on the field. Harding, a top-10 prospect at his position in this year’s draft class according to multiple scouting experts, has collected 22 tackles this year and is excellent in run support. Joining Harding is senior safety Tony Reid. He has a knack for coming up big and is always around the ball. Reid has made 23 tackles on the year while being a part of three turnovers, all coming in just one quarter. Unfortunately for Miami, it will have to go without Reid in the first half Saturday due to a targeting penalty in the second half of last week’s matchup at Central Michigan. (Oddly enough, Reid incurred a targeting penalty against Central Michigan in 2016, as well.)

Before going macro, what might have I missed that Notre Dame fans should be aware of before this weekend?
Running backs Kenny Young and Alonzo Smith provide a potent running back duo. Are they going to put up huge numbers each and every week? No, but if Notre Dame does decide to lock in on Gardner and Miami’s receivers, the RedHawks are just fine with feeding Young and Smith.

Junior linebacker Junior McMullen missed last week due to injury, but senior backup Sam Connolly had a career day in his place with nine tackles and an interception. Between McMullen, Connolly and senior Brad Koenig, the Miami defensive second unit has depth, versatility and proven production.

On a broader scale, Miami’s momentum from last year’s second half seems to have dissipated quickly. That 0-6 to 6-6 story was quite something, even with the one-point St. Petersburg Bowl loss to Mississippi State. Now at 2-2, with losses to Marshall and Cincinnati, is that momentum all gone? Or is there still great hope since both of those were non-conference defeats?
The 2-2 record at this point definitely is not what RedHawk fans were hoping for. What makes it even more disappointing is both losses were very winnable games. Special teams blunders cost the ‘Hawks at Marshall. Even more frustrating though is the loss to in-state rival Cincinnati. For the majority of the game, Miami was controlling the ball, making stops on defense and looked to be on its way to its first win over the Bearcats since 2005. Then, Ragland threw a pick-six with a few minutes to go, giving Cincinnati the lead for good.

There is still momentum with this team. It is only four or five plays away from being 4-0, have faced only one MAC opponent and have experienced players in Harding, Ragland and Reid who know how to overcome tough losses. That ability to bounce back was displayed last week at Central Michigan. The ‘Hawks jumped all over the Chippewas early and cruised the rest of the way. If Miami had come out flat last week, that would have been a major sign the RedHawks don’t have the toughness to live up to expectations. That was not the case. This team can still do big things and take the next step.

Entering the season there was distinct conversation of the RedHawks making a run at the MAC championship, at the least the Eastern Division. Is that still an expectation?
Yes. The two losses thus far are undoubtedly frustrating, but Miami finds itself 1-0 in conference play. It does not have to face the top two teams in the MAC West, Western Michigan and Toledo, this year and start off with struggling Bowling Green and Kent State following the trip to South Bend. The matchup that likely will decide the MAC East is a Tuesday night Halloween collision between the ‘Hawks and Ohio in Athens. In 2016, the Bobcats took the MAC East crown because of their head-to-head win at Miami. I would not be surprised if this year’s game has similar ramifications in deciding if Miami can finally get back to the MAC title game.

Let’s turn to Chuck Martin. This space does not usually spend undue amounts of time on an opposing coach, but he holds particular interest for Notre Dame fans for obvious reasons. He is now in his fourth season in Oxford. Safe to say the honeymoon is over, but he still is enjoying versions of success. What are Miami fans’ expectations of Martin?

In his fourth season with the RedHawks, it may be getting to be time for Chuck Martin’s team to show some success. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Martin has always been a realistic coach. When he arrived in December 2013, he did not promise overnight resurgence. Rather, he spoke of an incremental rebuild to get the right type of players in his program to play his style of football. The rebuild has not been flashy, yet Miami has steadily improved in Martin’s three years, from 2-10 to 3-9 and 6-6.

This is the year it all needs to come together for Martin. He has a veteran quarterback with weapons around him along with a defense filled with playmakers. Miami has been very patient with Martin, giving him time to make the program his own. Now it is his time to deliver. He did so last year by rallying to rattle off six straight wins to make a bowl game. He will need to do so again this season in order to keep himself off the hot seat.

You spend more time around him than anyone here does. What sense do you get of his long-term plan? Again, this is a weighted question in Irish eyes.
With many coaches in the MAC, you can tell they are trying to build a flashy program in order to get head coaching offers two or three years down the road with bigger schools. Martin has never appeared to be this kind of coach. His goal first and foremost is to “Graduate Champions,” a motto used throughout Miami athletics referring to developing the athlete in order to equip him or her to make an impact after sports. In hearing him talk at press conferences, it is apparent Martin cares deeply for his players as men, not just athletes. Through and through, Chuck Martin has seemed committed to Miami football. If a Power 5 school came calling after this year, would he consider a move? Probably. But I do not believe his sole purpose at Miami is getting that call like other MAC coaches.

The spread this week has risen to more than three touchdowns. Let’s presume you expect Notre Dame to win — if you don’t, please, say so. Can the RedHawks keep Saturday close enough to provide some second half consternation for Notre Dame fans?
Talent-wise, it is a mismatch. Martin explained it in a distinct way, saying Notre Dame is the team in the school yard that gets the first 85 picks, leaving Miami with what’s left. This is not to say that the RedHawks lack talent, but it is a tall task for a MAC team to compete with the ability, strength and speed of the Irish.

On the other hand, Miami is a team set up to keep games close by holding the ball to keep potent offenses on the sideline. This bodes well for the RedHawks in a game where they are outmatched such as this one, so don’t be surprised if the game is still competitive going into the second half.

While we are at it, let’s go ahead and ask for a score prediction. This is the internet, after all.
I think Miami is able to put some drives together early to make things interesting and keep the Irish offense off the field. With the knack the ‘Hawks have for causing turnovers, I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes a while for the Irish to fully pull away with the halftime score sitting somewhere around 17-7.

Late in the third quarter, the speed and strength of Notre Dame should take over. Miami is headed in the right direction and remains hopeful for a MAC championship, but there’s just too much talent to overcome in this one.

This is not to diminish the losses of receiver Miles Boykin and consensus first-team All-American cornerback Julian Love. Notre Dame will miss both of them, Love in particular. But looking at the Irish depth chart, there are avenues to survival without both.

Notre Dame will return two starting receivers in rising senior Chase Claypool and fifth-year-to-be Chris Finke (speaking of which, see below). A number of options exist to replace Love, though obviously none will match his shutdown abilities. Either rising sophomore TaRiq Bracy will put on the necessary muscle to compete with receivers at this level or rising senior Donte Vaughn will return reinvigorated with health after recent surgery to repair a torn labrum surgery or rising sophomore Houston Griffith will move from safety to get his talent on the field or fifth-year Shaun Crawford will recover from an ACL tear quicker than expected or … or … or … If one of those pans out, the Irish defense should be comfortable in its coverage, buoyed by the stalwart safety combination of Alohi Gilman and Jalen Elliott. (Imagine sincerely saying “stalwart safety combination” just six months ago.)

Look again at the depth chart, and such luxuries do not exist at defensive end. If rising seniors Khalid Kareem and Julian Okwara had not opted to return, Notre Dame’s 2019 dreams would have hit a lowered ceiling nine months before the season began. By no means were they certain high-round draft picks, but the allure of athletic and talented defensive ends may have easily led to some outsized draft hopes.

Their backups are certainly more than capable — rising seniors Daelin Hayes and Ade Ogundeji — but a talented second-unit is as important at defensive end as dangerous starters are. To replace the latter with the former is to diminish the entire enterprise outright.

The Irish could not have recovered from losing both Kareem and Okwara, at least not to the extent where Playoff talk would be viable again. Lose one and it would have still been dubious, at best.

Take a look at the teams expected to be in the mix for the Playoff. Using current championship odds … Clemson at 2-to-1, Alabama at just less than 3-to-1, Georgia at 6-to-1, Ohio State at 8-to-1, Michigan at 16-to-1 and then Oklahoma also at 16-to-1. Those first five have been known for their defenses more than anything else in recent years. Bookmakers put some faith in their ability to reload on the fly.

Notre Dame has not earned that trust, and its roster does not indicate it should have. As well as Justin Ademilola performed as a freshman in four games, inserting him into a pivotal role in 2019 would likely be a recipe for a mediocre season. He is another year of development away from being ready for that role, barring a Matt Balis-induced excellent offseason.

The Irish will need Kareem and Okwara to survive the losses of defensive tackles Jerry Tillery and Jonathan Bonner, but if they play as they did in 2018, that is a reasonable ask. If they continue to develop, it becomes a probability more than a Notre Dame leap of faith.

The Irish will miss Boykin’s back-shoulder reliability and everything about Love, but Brian Kelly and his coaching staff coaxed back the two most-pivotal pieces from NFL draft consideration.

Speaking of Finke, he confirmed his intent to return for his final year of eligibility Thursday evening. And he did it in a way only befitting a man comfortable in his own skin.

With the Wednesday announcement of current junior linebacker D.J. Morgan’s intention to transfer this summer as a graduate with two years of eligibility remaining, Notre Dame’s roster drops to 87 scholarship players expected this coming fall. Included among them, at least 12, possibly 14 linebackers. Before explaining that …

Morgan finishes his Irish career with two tackles in two 2017 appearances as a safety. He moved to linebacker during 2018’s spring practices, but never came particularly close to playing time. It remained difficult to see him cracking into the rotation moving forward given the quality of recruiting classes at the position in the last two cycles.

“I would like to thank the University of Notre Dame for everything they have done for me,” Morgan wrote on Twitter. “When I decided to come here, my main goal was to get my degree from this prestigious University, and I am proud to see that I will be completing that goal this summer!

“During this time I will be searching for a new school to attend as a graduate transfer to finish off my last 2 years of eligibility.”

(@deundraymorgan)

Before facing Louisville on Labor Day, the Irish will need to be down to 85 scholarship players. At 87 now, that does not include incoming freshman J.D. Bertrand, who had a recruitment handled in a deliberate fashion so as to make him eligible for an academic scholarship. Notre Dame also continues to chase two defenders — consensus four-star linebacker Asa Turner and consensus four-star defensive end Isaiah Foskey — who could balloon the roster count further.

Lacey will need to be ready for at least four games next season, especially with three of these six returning from injury: Tagovailoa-Amosa with a broken foot, though he did at least take some snaps against Clemson; Franklin from a torn quad that will limit him through the spring; and Spears from a torn ACL that could conceivably cost him 2019.

Former Notre Dame quarterback Brandon Wimbush will continue his career at Central Florida. Wimbush announced his graduate transfer destination Tuesday morning.

“The journey continues on …,” Wimbush wrote on Instagram. “A sincere thank you to Notre Dame for giving me endless opportunities on and off the field. Words truly can not (sic) describe what this incredible University and the PEOPLE mean to me and always will mean to me. I’m truly thankful. Cannot say it enough.

“With that being said, I am excited to announce that UCF has granted me an awesome opportunity to play my last year of collegiate football for their great University.”

Wimbush will enter into a starting opportunity, although an unfortunate one and a competitive one. The late November horrendous knee injury to three-year starter McKenzie Milton will almost-assuredly sideline him through the 2019 season. If not for the injury, Milton would either be starting 2019 for the Knights or headed to the NFL.

In his first year of any action, sophomore Darriel Mack played in 10 games for Central Florida, completing 51 of his 100 pass attempts for 619 yards and three touchdowns, including going 35-of-71 for 526 yards and three scores in the two-plus games Milton missed.

Wimbush finishes his Irish career with a 13-3 record as a starter, including four wins during 2018’s unbeaten regular season. After the Notre Dame offense failed to break 24 points in the first three games of the season, offensive coordinator Chip Long turned to Ian Book for a spark, one Book provided and then some.

Wimbush’s role became non-existent after that, aside from a Senior Day start in place of an injured Book, throwing for 130 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 68 yards.

Mustipher and Co. will now have reason to keep an eye on the Knights in 2019. After going 25-1 in the last two seasons, Central Florida will want to keep the momentum rolling, particularly with Stanford arriving in Orlando on Sept. 14, a week before the Knights head to Pittsburgh. The Knights genuinely entering the College Football Playoff conversation remains unlikely, but topping those two before rolling through the American Athletic Conference would at least start the discussion, especially if a former Irish quarterback headlines the way.

Named 2018’s Next Man In, Wimbush finishes his Irish career with 2,606 yards on 193-of-382 passing with 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions along with 1,155 rushing yards and 16 additional touchdowns.

AS FOR NOTRE DAME’S QB IN 2019 …Early Heisman odds came from an online sportsbook Tuesday, betonline.ag. Irish rising senior Ian Book was given 16-to-1 odds, tied for ninth on the listing. Given the names ahead of him, Book’s realistic chances of winning the Heisman Trophy are slim. Only Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa have odds lower than 12-to-1, at 7-to-2 and 4-to-1, respectively.

Then come two Notre Dame opponents — Georgia running back D’Andre Swift and quarterback Jake Fromm, both at 12-to-1. Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson checks in at 25-to-1, just ahead of Stanford quarterback K.J. Costello at 33-to-1.

If nothing else, Book can count on some early-season hype if the Irish top Swift and Fromm on Sept. 21.

Dabo Swinney paid tribute to the late Tyler Trent in his speech while Clemson visited the White House 🙏

A sign of a strong program is one that loses players to the NFL before they exhaust eligibility. In that vein, Notre Dame lost a consensus first-team All-American cornerback, its leading receiver and a long-time tease of a tight end. The last of those (Alizé Mack) was never expected back for a fifth season; replacing Miles Boykin’s production is certainly within reason; and a consensus first-team All-American should be expected to take the route junior Julian Love has.

Even with that expectation, losing Love — and to a lesser extent, Boykin — alters the natural roster cycle, the inherent design intended during recruiting. Reloading is always the hope, the next intention, but very rarely is the young backup comparable to the near professional, even by the end of the coming season.

Nonetheless, the Irish got off easy this cycle compared to four of their 2019 opponents …

GEORGIA: Junior running back Elijah Holyfield, the Bulldogs’ second-leading rusher, departs after gaining 1,018 rushing yards with seven touchdowns on 6.4 yards per carry this season. Frankly, that is the least of Georgia’s losses. Three of quarterback Jake Fromm’s four favorite targets will leave eligibility on the figurative table:

Without running back Karan Higdon, Michigan will presumably rely on its passing game more in 2019, quarterback Shea Patterson’s second season as a Wolverine. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

MICHIGAN: The Wolverines got good news when quarterback Shea Patterson opted to return for 2019, but losing leading-rusher Karan Higdon (1,178 yards, 10 touchdowns, 5.3 average) will be an issue head coach Jim Harbaugh undoubtedly hoped to avoid. Junior tight end Zach Gentry, Patterson’s third-most prolific target with 32 catches for 514 yards and two scores, will also head to the next level.

On the flip side, Harbaugh could have hoped linebacker Devin Bush (team-leading 80 tackles with 9.5 for loss including five sacks), defensive end Rashan Gary (44 tackles with seven for loss including 3.5 sacks) or linebacker David Long (17 tackles with one interception) might return, but no such luck for Michigan.

Duke junior quarterback Daniel Jones will head to the NFL after his third season as a starter, immediately lowering the Blue Devils’ 2019 expectations. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

DUKE: Junior linebacker Joe Giles-Harris paced the Blue Devils with 81 tackles, including seven for loss with one sack, doing so in only nine games. But losing Giles-Harris is hardly the concern for Duke. The decision to turn pro from quarterback Daniel Jones is.

In his third year as a starter, the junior fought through a broken collarbone to still play in 11 games in 2018, completing 60.5 percent of his passes for 2,674 yards and 22 touchdowns with nine interceptions. He added 319 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Jones’ decision may come as a surprise, but it is one that should work out well for both him and Notre Dame. Some mock drafts project him as a top-10 pick. In a draft light on quarterbacks — partly because Oregon’s Justin Herbert returned for another season, yet already somewhat counteracted by the Monday draft entry from Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray — Jones could end up being the third or fourth passer picked.

BOSTON COLLEGE: The Eagles will say farewell to junior cornerback Hemp Cheevers after he notched seven interceptions this season, returning one for a touchdown, to go along with 39 tackles.

STANFORD: This will seem like the Cardinal lost a lot to the NFL draft, but it could have been worse: As the departures mounted, so did speculation junior quarterback K.J. Costello might follow them. He opted not to.

Stanford will be without running back Bryce Love after his prodigious two seasons as the starter. Consider that a loss akin to the Irish Love, the inevitable price of enjoying the success in the first place.

Junior receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside will capitalize on his breakout season of 1,059 yards and 14 touchdowns, depriving Costello of his favorite jump-ball threat.

Junior tight end Kaden Smith will also head to the next level, in large part thanks to his 47 catches for 635 yards and two touchdowns this past season.

Louisville, New Mexico, Virginia, Bowling Green, USC, Virginia Tech and Navy all did not lose anyone early or pseudo-early to the NFL draft.